Self Help Africa
Advert for Project Manager for FOCUS (Fortifying for Our Communities Undernutrition Status through Strengthened CSO Capacity in Malawi)
(Contingent on funding)
Self Help Africa is an international development charity, and is committed to the safeguarding of all those who we come into contact with or through our work. We are committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour relating to our work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and we are committed to promoting the welfare of children and the people we aim to assist with whom Self Help Africa engages. Self Help Africa expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviours outlined in the Code of Conduct and Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy, inside and outside of work hours. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Recruitment to all roles in Self Help Africa may include, and be subject to, a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checking. Self Help Africa is committed to the principles of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment during employment. By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Research shows that women and those from marginalised ethnic groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align with every criteria described, we encourage you to apply anyway, you could be exactly what we need!
Self Help Africa Malawi works to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,000,000 people a year across Malawi. This is an exciting time to join us as we seek to tackle the global challenges in progressive and innovative ways.
Job Purpose
The position is required to oversee the overall objective of the Fortifying for Our Communities Undernutrition Status through Strengthened Civil Society Organisation Capacity in Malawi (FOCUS) Action is strengthened local CSOs contribute to improved nutritional status, especially for children under five, in Malawi. S/he will be responsible for effective and efficient management and delivery of the FOCUS project ensures the project is delivered to a high quality using within budget and using adaptive management approach to meet deliverables and indicators in the log frame.
Duties and responsibilities
- Ensures the delivery of the project four result areas: Result Area 1: Increased demand for and consumption of micronutrient-rich, fortified, and biofortified foods by the population through advocacy and awareness raising by CSOs. Result Areas 2: Increased access to and availability of micronutrient-rich, fortified, and biofortified foods by enhancing the capabilities and connections among various stakeholders. Result Area 3: Increase equitable access to fortificants and support the medium-scale fortification of maize flour by CSOs in Malawi. Result Area 4: Increased capacity of regulators to implement their roles in Food Fortification and infant Foods’ laws and guidelines and increased capacity of CSOs to hold actors to account.
- Provide technical support and guidance to field technical staff, three co-applicant partners and communities in relation to food fortification and bio-fortification and other technical related issues
- Coordinate partner and district level quarterly planning and review meetings for the project
- Ensure that the project adopts best practices in production, access, demand, policy and innovation of nutritious and appropriate fortification and takes up recommendations to ensure that lessons learned within the programmes are properly recorded and shared with other partners
- Develop and maintain strong relationships within and outside SHA including with the Government of Malawi ministries and its departments and various private sector partners relevant to key components of the project.
- Oversee and work in close liaison with implementing partners and other stakeholders including SHA programme staff to coordinate coherent and consistent delivery of the programmes objectives.
- Provide technical input for the implementation of the programme including in the preparation of work plans, strategies, training materials, guidelines and manuals and partner support.
- Assess the staff for technical training and capacity building needs and carry out in-house training, as well as arranging external training where required.
- Ensure compliance by SHA with EU contract requirements in planning, financial management, procurement, monitoring and reporting, and facilitate further training where necessary.
- In close collaboration with the Dedza Programme Manager, manage the programme budgets, including tracking of financial and material resources using established budget management tools and systems.
- Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely reporting in line with EU and SHA policies and procedures.
- Ensure accurate and timely reporting of programme finances and progress status from partners; review actual financial performance against the budget; and explain variances on a regular basis. This will include strong foresight of the need for any EU re-budgeting and contract amendments in line with an adaptive management approach
- Ensure the programme has sufficient systems in place to meet programme management standards and comply with donor regulations and good practice.
- Oversee the programme’s compliance with EU monitoring and evaluation requirements, using data analysis as the basis for measuring performance. Ensure that knowledge management is central to the work plan. As this is the final phase the PM will be responsible for documenting lessons learnt throughout the programme and developing a clear dissemination plan. Actively engaging in the SHA M&E working group and feed into organisation wide data management.
- Provide regular reporting to the Programmes Manager as per reporting guidelines including preparation and consolidation of monthly, quarterly and annual projects reports
- Monitor the context and carry out adjustments to project plans and management on an on-going basis in light of changing context, resources, and opportunities
- Facilitate a working environment of mutual trust, respect, and care among all staff.
- Ensure safeguarding policy is adhered to by partners and staff and safeguarding is activitly communicated and all stakeholders trained. Be an advocate for do no harm principles and the values of SHA
- Ensure effective representation of SHA in different forums, meetings, networks and events.
- Perform any other duties assigned by the Dedza Programme Manager
Minimum Requirements
- Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Development Studies, or related discipline
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in managing nutrition or fortification projects with experience in biofortified markets and seeds
- Experience with EU funding
- Skills in training/facilitation of development processes, including organisation and mobilisation of communities and networking among different development partners such as community-based organisations, government officers and SHA staff.
- Have an understanding of climate change related issues and how they impact on the smallholder farmer, food and production and the nation at large.
- Experience of working with agro-dealers, seed companies and private sector players in the country
- Have experience working with local CSOs
- A mature self-starter, able to work independently, think critically and reflect and willing to take calculated risks to enable learning.
Desirable Skills
- Ability to work as part of a team across different cultures.
- Ability to work with minimum supervision and take initiative.
- Ability to solve problems and take corrective action.
- Strong skills in speaking and writing English with solid computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, powerpoint and email
- Excellent communication skills, excellent people management and interpersonal skills preferably in an NGO
- Proven ability to motivate, provide technical support and guidance to a diverse team of staff and partners with minimum direct supervision.
- Proven leadership and interpersonal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams
- Strong leadership skills, including strategic thinking, problem solving, effective communication and negotiating skills
Key Relationships
Internal
- Dedza Programme Manager, M&E Coordinator, all Field Facilitators, Project Accountant, DCD-Programmes, Gender Advisors, SD, CD and the Global Nutrition Advisor.
- Self Help Africa Malawi Country Programme and Administrative Staff
External
All partner co-applicants CADECOM, GAIN and CSONA, European Union, Cooperatives, schools and district hospitals, DNCC, district councils, Govt Ministries and departments, seed companies and service providers, agro-dealers, premix distributor, millers, CSOs,
How to apply
Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form, downloadable on https://gsha.box.com/v/applicationform. The completed application form should be uploaded together with the Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae and Copies Certificates saved in your name to
No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted. Please note the zipped Folder will not be accessed.
Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of 24th November 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted
Self Help Africa takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. Self Help Africa has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.
For more information about SHA, please visit our website at http://www.selfhelpafrica.org.
SHA is an equal opportunity employer.